Language – Gender – Transmigration - A Workshop with and about Itō Hiromi and her literature

Language – Gender – Transmigration - A Workshop with and about Itō Hiromi and her literature

01.02.2019 | 13:30

The poet, prose author, and essayist Itō Hiromi is one of the most prominent and innovative literary authors in contemporary Japan. Her prize-winning narrative texts defy conventional categories of genre, oscillating between the epic and the lyrical, the autobiographical and the mythical, while constantly drawing on a wide range of classical and contemporary materials. Dividing her time between California and Japan (in particular Kumamoto and Tokyo, where she presently teaches Creative Writing at Waseda University), she brings a transnational perspective to Japanese literature. She writes with a unique humor, seriousness, and urgency about a range of topics from the commonplace to issues of life and death. This workshop will offer inroads into her multi-faceted oeuvre, discuss its impact in Japan and beyond, and provide an opportunity to directly experience the poetic power and persuasiveness of her artistry.